philippe starck: V+ volteis electric car

debuted at geneva motor show 2012, the ‘V+ volteis’ is an electric car concept developed by french designer philippe starck in collaboration with volteis, a french electric vehicle manufacturer. under the design philosophy ‘less and more’, the 1600-pound car is composed almost entirely of aluminum,  with a full windshield, fabric roof, and no doors. 

3/4 front view

starck‘s car concept for volteis would include a 4kW engine with 11.5kWh battery pack that drives power to the craft, with a maximum speed of 40mph and a single-charge range of 37 miles. technology adopted from current electric car engineering practices  include a trailing-arm rear suspension and disc brakes for smoother acceleration and safe deceleration respectively. the battery achieves 50% capacity in two hours from a standard 220 V power source, and six hours to full. a wicker dashboard and storage unit are complemented by seat frames created by dedon outdoor furniture producers. starck designed the ‘V+ volteis’ in response to his dissatisfaction with the current  state of automotives: ‘they’re noisy, dirty, anti-social, masochistic; and they bring out the worst in people.’

3/4 rear view

the vehicle is set for limited production, to be sold first in 15 shops throughout france and then worldwide, at an estimated 40,000 USD. starck envisions the car to be used primarily in the hospitality industry, at resorts, restaurants, or hotels. 

interior, view of dashboard

the bare-bones design characterizes the interior as well. the only controls are a gauge meter above the steering wheel, which indicates the speed and battery level.

view from windshield

colour combinations